


Fruit Loops

by Onedoesnotneedtoknow



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Father Son Bonding, Gen, Nightmares, fruit loops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 10:39:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onedoesnotneedtoknow/pseuds/Onedoesnotneedtoknow
Summary: Sometimes you just need fruit loops to make the nightmares go away





	Fruit Loops

It was the quiet padding of hesitant feet that drew Oliver out of his spiraling thoughts. He heard William walking down the hall long before he appeared around the corner of the kitchen, seeming surprised to find him awake as well. He noted his son shifted nervously from foot to foot, tugging his sleeves over his hands and holding the cuffs in his fists. 

“Hey buddy what are you doing up?” He kept his voice light, wary that his son seem ready to run. William took a minute to respond, his eyes darting around the openspace as if ready for an attack. Oh how he’d hoped he’d never see that hopelessness in his sons eyes. Oliver took care to relax his posture as he stood on the kitchen side of the island, elbows resting on the counter. 

“I had a nightmare.” Came a quiet mumble as Will stepped closer into the dim light. 

“Me too.” Oliver watched as his son’s head shot up, eyes searching his own for some hint of a lie or deception. 

“You have nightmares?” Oliver nodded, his eyes falling to the soggy bowl of Fruit Loops in front of him. 

“I do.” He sighed for a second before reaching around and grabbing another bowl from the cupboard beside him, “would you like some?”

“I didn’t think you liked sugary cereal?” Will was hesitant, holding the back of the stool at the island like a lifeline. “Felicity says after the island you didn’t like sugar.”

“Well that’s true but Felicity always has a few boxes stashed around the house, she thinks I don’t know.” Oliver smiled as William laughed and took a seat and started pouring his own bowl of colourful sugar. They sat quietly for a while, eating slowly. 

“But won’t she notice some missing?” Will sat cautiously on the the edge of his seat across from him, ready to flee at a moments notice. 

Oliver laughed and shook his head. “I’ve seen her get out of bed in a daze, walk out here make herself a bowl, eat it and go back to bed.”

“Asleep?” He asked, eyes wide in disbelief. 

“Absolutely dead to the world, and had the hide to ask me in the morning why I ate breakfast without her.” Will laughed and shook his head, no doubt imagining that very scene. 

“Do Fruit Loops help?” William asked shattering the pensive silence, “with the nightmares I mean?”

Oliver couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him, “they don’t not.” He took a breath as he struggled against the thoughts flying around his head. “They’re just- they remind me of Felicity, that I’m home, and not stuck on that island or in Russia or,” he let his train of thought stop as he took another breath and ate another spoonful of diabetes. 

“Do they ever stop?” Will asked quietly, looking firmly at his bowl. 

“Felicity thinks if I saw a therapist they might.” He shrugged, remembering the many discussions they and John had had about the precarious state of his mental health. 

“But you don’t want to?”

“There’s so much that I can’t talk about, things that I’ve seen and done that would get me and a lot of people into trouble.” and I think if it I did they might lock me up remained unsaid. 

“So I shouldn’t see one?” Will finally looked up at him, his posture scared, and unsure. 

“No buddy not at all! I think it’s a great idea.” He hurried to reassure his son, despite the sceptical looks he got in return. 

“But-“

“Would you think any less of Felicity if she went to go see one?”

“No of course not!”

“Then why is it any different for you?”

“But you won’t go see one.”

“And I’m struggling. But I agree with the concept, talking to people about what’s bothering you makes things easier. I’ve learnt that the hard way.” The very hard way. 

“Do you talk to Felicity about your dreams?”

“Sometimes,” he shrugged, stirring his cereal that had by now turned into a technicolor slop, “sometimes I talk to John, he knows a lot of what I’ve been through because he’s been there himself.”

“Has he seen a therapist?”

“I think he might’ve in the army, I’m not sure.” William was quiet as he mulled it all over, eating a few more spoonfuls of his cereal. “But please, never forget that you can always talk to me about it, I can’t guarantee I’ll have the answers but I can always listen.” 

“I know.” Will smiled at him, “thank you.” Oliver and William ate the rest of their cereal in silence, moving as one to drink the last of the milk out of their bowls and laughing as they realised the other did it too. 

“You go to bed Will, I’ll wash up.” Oliver hurried to grab his sons bowl as his son started to stand. 

“Are you sure?” Will asked tentatively, he was usually happy to help wash up. 

“Yeah, try and get some sleep, you’ve got school in the morning.” Oliver smiled as William started to make his way back to bed. 

“Goodnight dad.” 

“Goodnight buddy.” Oliver smiled at him before turning on the tap. 

William paused at the hallway, “Do you think Felicity would let me have Fruit Loops for breakfast?”

“Go to bed!” He laughed as William flashed him a grin before disappearing into the darkness. If Oliver could help William get over his nightmares, hopefully in some way he could get over his as well.


End file.
